Sotheby’s says it sold $1.8 billion of art in the US in 2006, a “52 percent increase from the previous year, according to Sotheby’s data gathered for analysts and investors. U.K. auctions of $1.2 billion rose 28 percent from 2005, while Asian sales of $282.3 million were 29 percent higher than the previous year. Auctions in continental Europe advanced 6 percent to $320.1 million.”